American Chestnut (Castanea dentata)

Formerly a very common large tree of the Mountains and upper Piedmont regions of North Carolina. Because of the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica), which was introduced on nursery stock of the Chinese Chestnut (Castanea mollissima) in 1904 in New York City. In the 1930s-1940s, almost all the large trees in North Carolina (and throughout American Chestnut's range) were killed back to the ground. Stump sprouts still cling on to life, occasionally surviving long enough to produce flowers and nuts.